KUOE Old Smith 90-007vsRetter Watches Mistral

Owners widely praise the KUOE OLD SMITH 90-007 for its vintage aesthetic, with particular admiration for its blue hands that shine in sunlight and its grainy textured dial with satisfying chunky numerals. The 35mm case size is noted as a potential issue for smaller wrists, and one owner found the crown difficult to operate, while another experienced an initial defect. The Super-LumiNova is described as weak, and the $635 price is considered high for the Miyota 82S5 movement and standard specifications, though some feel the premium is justified by Kuoe's distinctive design and microbrand status. On balance, owners cherish the KUOE OLD SMITH 90-007 for its unique design language and discreet dress/office appeal.

Retter Watches Mistral is lauded for its elegant, ultra-thin 6.8mm case and refined, retro 38mm profile with soldered lugs, featuring a unique multi-level dial with textural depth and a well-decorated manual-wind ETA 7001 movement. Some reviewers note that the minute hand could be longer to reach the minute track and that legibility may be an issue due to hand similarity. On balance, reviewers praise the Retter Watches Mistral for its sophisticated design and value at its preorder price, highlighting the attractive manual-wind movement.